Networks, such as cable networks, may become overloaded with too many users and too much traffic. Network providers can regulate how much bandwidth a given user may have, either by direct regulation of the user, or by regulation of a group to which the user belongs.
In cable networks, for example, there may be many cable modems attached to their network access device, usually referred to as a cable modem termination server (CMTS). There may be several cable modems that use a particular CMTS for connection to the cable network, and eventually larger data networks. When a cable modem connects to the CMTS, they generally receive two service flow allocations for traffic rates, one for the upstream, from the cable modem to the CMTS and one for the downstream, from the CMTS to the cable modem.
In many instances, however, it may be desirable to regulate the traffic rates for groups of cable modems connected to a particular CMTS. For example, one business user may have several cable modems on a CMTS and the network provider may want to limit the traffic rate available to the user's cable modems so other users do not suffer service problems. In another example, cable modem subscribers may have the option of paying more for ‘premium’ network service rather than ‘basic’ service, and those users that are ‘basic’ users on the CMTS may have their traffic rates limited in favor of the premium customers. Currently, regulation of traffic rates is generally done on a per-CMTS or service flow basis.